


Better

by Catheryne (bettythetl)



Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Angst, Crying, F/M, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-01-23
Updated: 2007-01-23
Packaged: 2017-10-23 08:42:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/248400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bettythetl/pseuds/Catheryne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Angel has a dream and rushes to Sunnydale to help an old family member.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better

Angel was dreaming. He was dreaming about the past. One could tell if he or she just looked at the dark haired man, mostly at the way his eyes were moving back and forth under his lids. The thing was that the dream was unfamiliar. Angel had never had it before, did not recall ever having seen this place in a dream, but he knew the young man in it...

 _William’s face was earnest as he tried to make the girl understand him, even though she was turned away from him. “Oh, I know...it’s sudden and...please, if they’re no good, they’re only words, but...the feeling behind them...I love you, Cecily.”_

 _She looked horrified as she said urgently, “Please, stop!”_

 _William seemed to not realize that she meant it when she rejected him, so he tried to convince her once more. Saying as gently as he could, even as he fought obvious passion, Will explained, “I know I’m a bad poet, but I’m a good man, and all I ask is that...that you see me—”_

 _Cecily stood then, glancing at him only briefly before stating as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “I **do** see you. That’s the problem. You’re nothing to me, William. You’re beneath me...” She turned on her heels and left the room, leaving the bereft young man aching and alone._

“Will...” Angel murmured softly, seeing this as the time when his Will’s heart was first broken. An image of Buffy fighting Spike, the vampire that his William had become, flashed before his eyes, and Angel woke with a soft gasp. Many would think, given his recent history, that Angel would react the way he did, throwing on his clothes in a haphazard way, packing an overnight bag to the brim with at least a week’s worth of clothes, and running out the door with all his inhuman speed, that something with Darla had come up.

If they made that assumption, they would be, as usual, incorrect. Not that Angel was exactly opaque. He was still going after a family member, but once again, not for the reasons that would be expected. He had a terrible feeling that Will’s heart would be exposed in a way that hadn’t happened in a long time, and it would not be in a good way.

Breaking speed limits didn’t even register to Angel as he sped to Sunnydale, his only thoughts on his Will. When sirens sounded behind him, Angel debated trying to outrun the police car, but eventually swung over to the side, trying to play it cool and fighting not to just screech off the side of the road. Taking a deep breath, Angel smiled forcedly at the officer and said through gritted teeth, “Is there a problem, officer?”

“Did you realize that you were speeding, sir?” the officer questioned in a monotone voice, seeming to be bored all ready.

Angel didn’t bother to play the innocent and said quite frankly, “Yes, officer, I do realize that I was speeding. I was going 150 in a 55 mile per hour zone, but I have a family emergency, so if you would please let me go, I will do anything you need me to do, just let me go.”

The officer seemed surprised to actually get a straight answer, but hid it after a moment, saying, “Well, sir, I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to detain you.”

“What?! Come on! I told you I’d do what you want and I have a family emergency, so please, let me go!” Angel pleaded with the officer, giving his best tortured look to the policeman.

The policeman looked as if he were going to crumble when his partner crunched her way up to the side of the car. “There a problem here?” she asked, and just by her voice, Angel knew that this woman was the original tough girl and it would take a lot to convince her to let him go. So he made a decision.

Angel put a hand on his forehead, pressing the heel of his hand against it, letting loose a soft sniffle that wasn’t entirely put upon. The feeling that Spike was about to get shattered beyond belief kept getting stronger and stronger and a rough sob escaped him. He looked up through blurry eyes at the female cop and saw her lower her glasses to peer at him over the lenses. “I’m sorry...” he whispered, lowering his eyes slightly, “I just...I got a call from my son...He’s...just been hurt, very, very badly, and he said that he...He told me goodbye. He said that he would...” Angel brought a hand to cover his mouth, his shoulders beginning to shake.

A small sound escaped the woman cop that could not have been heard by human ears, but since Angel wasn’t human, he obviously heard it. He looked up, eyes questioning, before feeling them widen at the look in hers. She had obviously been in his situation before, and nodded slightly. “Let him go, Frank,” she whispered to the other officer. He turned to look at her, but the look in her eyes made him shut up and wave Angel on.

The vampire smiled slightly and sped off, making it to Sunnydale in about an hour and a half. He scented the air around him and cursed in frustration before making his way to Buffy’s house. Checking the windows yielded no sign of the Slayer, so he made his way to her usual hang out, the Bronze. In the alleyway just outside of the club, he heard the sounds of fighting. Then a subtle silence. He crept closer, hearing the voices of both Buffy and Spike.

The sudden click of heels signaling Buffy’s departure made him slink back from her line of sight, watching _her_ until she was gone. Angel walked farther into the alleyway and felt his heart crack. Spike was laying on his back, propped up on his elbows, money strewn around him, and tears running from his eyes. The older vampire could hold back no longer and came closer, whispering softly, “Will?”

For a moment, flooded blue eyes that were so wide and vulnerable locked eyes with Angel’s own before they ducked momentarily and came up again, spitting fire. “Whadya want, ponce?” Spike spat, disgusted that Angel had seen his weakness.

Angel walked over slowly, like one would to a frightened colt, and crouched down in front of Spike, gently placing a hand on his chin. Spike hissed at Angel and smacked his hand away. He stood up abruptly after clutching the money to his chest, and Angel stood with him, hearing the nearly imperceptible sniffling, and knowing that Spike was fighting tears. “Will...” Angel began, putting his hand back on Spike’s face. This time Spike didn’t pull away, and Angel took this as encouragement.

Angel grabbed Spike’s hand and pulled him close, tucking his head underneath the taller vampire’s chin and holding him there by a hand at the back of his blond head when he made to pull away. When Angel gently cooed to him, Spike shattered, melting against Angel as his money fell to the alleyway beneath their feet. Angel felt himself shaking and was surprised to feel tears falling down his own cheeks.

“She said I was...I was beneath her...She’s just...She’s like Cecily...” Spike muttered against Angel’s shirt, even as he soaked it with his tears.

“I know...I know, Will...” Angel murmured, speaking the truth. That was what the dream was telling him. He had to fix what Cecily and now Buffy had done. He had to make Spike feel worthy again.

Gently pushing him away, Angel looked at his boy’s blue eyes before softly dropping a kiss to his forehead and pulling him close again. “You’re better than them. _Both_ of them. They won’t hurt you again. I promise...”

Spike lifted his head, and he looked up at Angel, not quite believing as he searched his eyes, but then...he saw it. He saw the truth, and the respect. A slow smile crept up his face, and he nodded, putting his head back on Angel’s chest in a show of trust and the almost beginnings of love.

Angel was right. He was better.

 **_Fin_ **


End file.
